COUPLE HIT WITH NIECE’S TRAFFICKING TESTIMONY

Slavery, sex crimes against 12-year-old recalled at hearing

Oceanside couple, Marcial Hernandez, middle, Inez Garcia, left, aare accused of smuggling their 12 year old niece across the Mexican boarder and her for sex and labor more than a decade ago
— jamie Scott Lytle: jamiescottlyt

Oceanside couple, Marcial Hernandez, middle, Inez Garcia, left, aare accused of smuggling their 12 year old niece across the Mexican boarder and her for sex and labor more than a decade ago
/ jamie Scott Lytle: jamiescottlyt

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said the alleged victim returned to San Diego County several years ago and started to experience flashbacks of the abuse. Friends encouraged her to talk with authorities.

When her aunt and uncle were arrested late last year by the North County Human Trafficking Task Force, law-enforcement officials called it one of the worst cases of human trafficking they had seen.

Spears, who is representing Hernandez, questioned why the alleged victim did not tell anyone about the rapes and prostitution until she returned to the U.S. as an adult. He also pointed out that last year she received a U.S. visa reserved for victims of crime.

Isabel told the court she did not tell anyone about the sexual abuse because she was afraid of how her parents might react. She said her father had sexually abused her before she came to the United States.

In 2009, while visiting a community health clinic, she told a social worker about her history. That person then referred her to a community group that helps victims of sex trafficking, and eventually Isabel spoke with law enforcement.